This study hack is for those of you who are approaching your trials in the coming weeks and beginning to stress out because your summaries are not done and you have no idea where to begin. Believe it or not there is a simple solution to this issue. This article looks at the number 1 study hack that can be used by those of you who are last week studiers (last day or minute studying… there is no solution to other than to start earlier).
So, what is this study hack? It is to skip writing your summaries. That’s right, if you only have a week to go until you have exams then don’t worry about writing summaries and skip straight to the next step of good studying, and that is to complete practice questions.
Now, don’t get me wrong. If you have time to complete your summaries then you should (see here for how to write summaries). If you have 3 weeks before exams, complete your summaries and do practice questions as you go, as well as a whole pile afterwards. But, if you are struggling for time between now and when you sit down for your exam, this study hack is for you.
So, put away your exercise book or your computer, wherever you happen to write your summaries, pick up a past HSC PDHPE exam and get doing!! The first step is to sit down and answer as much as you can. Then go through and check your answers. You can check them using the marking criteria provided by BOSTES, or if your teacher is willing get them to check them for you as well. But you want feedback ASAP, so the more you are not relying on others the better at this point.
Checking your answers requires you to read other answers and/or review what should have been included in your answer. As you do this, redo the questions you were struggling with. As this is a study hack, don’t do any question more than twice. This is mostly to save time and help you cover more content in your study, I would normally tell people to keep at the same question until they write the perfect answer.
Once you have checked your answers and fixed them up, do another past HSC PDHPE paper and repeat! Do this as much as you can! the more questions you have answered and fixed up to a good standard the more your writing will improve and the more your recall of information will improve.
So, if you are running out of time as trials approach, do nothing other than past papers or other practice questions, such as last years trial (just make sure you also get the marking criteria and sample answers). That is my study hack for those who have limited time, but want to improve their result in the last week before exams… really this study hack is what everyone should be doing in the week before their exam anyway.
You will do better if you are more prepared next time, so do finish off your summaries, mind-maps, flashcards etc if you have time, or at least after your trials before your HSC PDHPE exam. But if you have not done these and there is only a week left, get to past papers and practice questions, it is the best study hack for you.
